Hydraulic turbine



March 19, 1929. l BRlKNER 1,706,375

HYDRAULI C TURBI NE Filed July 9, 1926 Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

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EDWARD 3'. BRIKNER OF TIIILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNQRTO ALLIS-GHALMEBS MAN'UFACTU RING CQMPANY,

DELAWARE.

0F 'MILWAUKEE,WESCONSEN, A CQEKPORATION OF nYnnAULrc runnrnn.

I Application filed July 9, 1926. Serial No. 121.239.

- This invention relates in general to ims,

provements in hydraulic machines, and;re

lates more specifically to improvements in safety devices for preventing destruction of hydraulic turbines or the like, in case of breakage of a portionof the control mechanism thereof. i

An objectofthe invention to provide simple and efficient means for limiting the travel of the flow controlling guide vanes of a hydraulic machine, in case a portion of the vane actuating-mechanismbecomes detached or broken.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the operation of mechanism constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring tothedrawing accompanying and forming a part of fins specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a'vertical hydraulic turbine of the Francis type, embodying the: improved safety appliance. l V

Fig. 2' is an enlarged fragmentary top view of a portion of the casing and of the actuating ring of the turbine disclosed in.

Fig. l. j Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical section of the turbine, the section beingtaken through the guide vane actuating mechanism. v

Fig. l is an elevation of one of the guide vane actuating links and of a fragment of the actuating ring.

The Francis type hydraulic turbine to which the invention has been applied by way of illustration, comprises in general a rotor 2 having a main shaft 3 and formed to receive its supply of actuating fluid from a supply conduit l past an annular series of pivotally supported adjustable inlet guide vanes 63. The rotor 2 is housed within a casing comprising a topcover 7, and has its discharge end in communication with a draft tube 5. Each of the adjustable inletguide vanes 6 has a pivot 8 journaled in the cover 7, and an actuating arm 9 is attached to the upper extremity of each of the vane pivots 8. The pivots 8 are unsymmetrically disposed with respect to the bodies of the vanes 6 and the inlet vane portions are longer than the discharge portions, the former being of suflicient lengthlto strike the rotor 2 if the the corresponding vanes are swung completely around. The

actuating arms 9 are disposed radially and the inner swingingextremities thereof are pivotally connected to the linlts 11 by means of pivot pins 13 the opposite ends of the links ll-beingpivotally attacl'ied to a common adjusting ring 10 means of pivot pins 14. The adjusting ring'lO is journaled on the'casing Z' and the hub of each of the arms 9 is provided with oppositely disposed projections l2which are so located that theywill provide positive stops for the actuating arms 90f the-adjacent vanes 6 as indicated I in Fig.2.

During normaloperation of theturbine the fluid under pressure is admitted to the rotor 2 from the supply" conduit 4 past the inlet guide vanes 6, and. is eventually discharged into the draft tube The guide vanes 6 may beadjusted to vary the inlet opening, by means of a servo-motor of usual construction cooperating with'the adjusting ring 1O As the ring 10 by bearing upon the turbine casing, is shifted about the axis of. the shaft 3, the motion of this ring is transmitted to the guide vanes 6-through the pins,l3,14,, the links 11, the arms 9, and the pivots 8 in an obvious manner,.causing the vanes 6 to simultaneously swing about their pivotal axes.

In case one of the links 11 should break, guide vane 6 will tend to tilt or swing freely about its pivotal axis, as shown in Fig.2, and unless the movement of the released vane is checked, *this vane might swing about its pivotal axis to such vane 6 so released, the projections 12 immedlately become effective and prevent a released vane 6 from swinging completely about 1ts pivotal aX1S. It will be apparent that if a released vane should swing inthe virtue of its opposite direction from that indicated in r Fig. 2, the projection 12 on the arm 9 of the vane (ion the opposite side would become effective to limit the swinging movement of the released vane. From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the proj ections 12 effectively limit the travel of the vane 6, and also permit replacement of a broken link 11 befojreany serious damage is done. The pins 13, 14 are freely accessible '110 from the exterior of the casing 7 and are readily removable to permit replacement of a link 11 without necessarily stopping the unit.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact de tails of construction and operation herein shown and described for various modifications within the scope of the claims may ocour to persons skilled in the art.

- It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. In combination, a rotor, a plurality of movable guide vanes for controlling the flow of fluid through said rotor, said vanes being located so close to said rotor as to cause interference if permitted to swing freely, a

pivot for each of said vanes, an actuatingmovement of the vanes on opposite sides of said arm so as to prevent interference with said rotor.

2. In combination, a rotor, an annular series of movable guide vanes for controlling the fiow of fluid through said rotor, said vanes being located so close to said rotor as to cause interference 1f permltted to swing freely, a pivot vfor each of said vanes, an actuating arm secured to each of said pivots and extending inwardly toward the axis of said rotor, said pivots being spaced equi-i distant apart and the distance between the axes of successive pivots being greater than the maximum length of one of said arms, an adjusting ring, end of each of said arms with said adjusting ring, and a pair of oppositely disposed projections on each of said arms whereby said projections on two of said arms will limit the pivotal movement of an intervening arm in opposite directions in case of breakage of the actuating link thereof so as to prevent interference with said rotor.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aifixed hereto. V

EDXVARD J. BRIKNER,

a link connecting the inner 

